Fox News marches in lockstep with the newest outrages in the right wing community – a group that fears and loathes a “nanny” state in which an evil, librul government, according to the new right wing narrative, can monitor your body mass – an alleged intrusion which will (gasp) be allegedly paid for with stimulus funds. This meme dovetails nicely and very conveniently with outrage over a report, also making the rounds of the right wing, that a Massachusetts (read evil, librul) student was sent home with a “report card for weight.” Yesterday, Fox “News” anchor, Megyn Kelly fulfilled the Fox requirement for doing a “news” item that was geared to reinforce these new right wing “outrages.” She took the “report card” story and turned it into an anti Obama screed complete with scary data to “prove her point” about how the Obama administration will be using stimulus money to monitor your body fat. Once again, Kelly’s “news” was, despite Fox’s contention that it’s part of the “news” line-up, not “fair & balanced.” It was straight out right wing propaganda. But as right wing talking points disguised as “news,” it was pretty slick.

Yesterday, Megyn dove right in with an exaggeration. She asked how parents would feel if their kids came home with a report card that said “they’re fat.” Kelly described how a 9 year old Massachusetts came home with a Body Mass Screening result. She squinted her eyes, which were shooting daggers, and said indignantly, “look at this” as a video of the girl’s mother’s reaction was shown. When Shelby Sumner said that, although she would be considered big for her age, she didn’t think she was overweight, an intense Megyn said “amen, Shelby.” Kelly then played the fear of Obama health care card when she said “just wait, soon every one of us may be getting these reports cards.” (WTF?) She and Fox medical contributor Dr. Keith Ablow then discussused the issue over the chyron “Elementary School Issues “Fat” Report Cards to Students.” She said that they would discuss the student and then “how this is going to happen to you and me thanks to Uncle Sam.” Kelly sputtered about how “the state” mandated that every child get their BMI measured and then they “send home a note to your parents saying you’re fat.” They then talked about self esteem issues. Not surprisingly, Dr. Ablow said that the state was “impinging” on a child’s relationship with their parents. (The right wing don’t seem to care about government impinging on a woman’s relationship with her Ob-Gyn person but I digress!)

Pulling out the “fear factor” card, Kelly said it wasn’t just this that’s “very disturbing.” She said “our own federal government, in the stimulus plan” has a section that, according to Kelly, creates an office that “apparently” will monitor every American's body mass index. (Oh, noooooo, no more supersized fries?! This could be a problem for some Fox fans!) Her voice went into loud high pitched, almost hysterical range when she asserted that “we could all be getting letters potentially from Uncle Sam saying ‘hey, Ablow, Kelly, you’re fat’.” Ablow said “absolutely” and asserted that this will be part of the electronic medical record maintained by doctors and hospitals with the risk of penalties if this is not done. Articulating a right wing talking point and invoking the “slippery slope,” Ablow said that “this paves the way psychologically for people to not resist the state being involved in many arenas…” When Megyn did cite alarming statistics about American obesity, Ablow said that it should be handled “as a family” and urged parents to tell their kids to refuse allow their body mass index to be measured.

Comment: So this is Fox News? As a “news” piece, shouldn’t Megyn have mentioned that the body mass index screening was approved by the Mass. Public Health Council which represents “doctors, academics, and service providers” and that the “the report will also include recommendations on dealing with a child's weight problem, including a suggestion to visit the pediatrician.” Perhaps she could have noted that other states are also involved in this optional program. Perhaps she could have interviewed, as is done on “lamestream” media show, a state or federal health official who could have discussed the issue. Perhaps she should could have, at least, gotten a comment from somebody in the Mass. Educational system. Perhaps she could have accurately presented section 61 of the Stimulus Bill which does not even mention “body mass index.” Rather, it is concerned with things like “vii) Strategies to enhance the use of health information technology in improving the quality of health care, reducing medical errors, reducing health disparities, improving public health, increasing prevention and coordination with community resources, and improving the continuity of care among health care
Settings.” Perhaps if Kelly had provided the actual citation, we could check the veracity of her interpretation of this law – rather than take her right wing propaganda as fact.

On, and about Dr. Keith Ablow. He’s a Republican who might be considering running against John Kerry in 2014. He’s a perfect match for Fox as he once said this: “People who think there is no such thing as objective Truth are just running from it.” He provides warm support for Glenn Beck so nuff said.